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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — an aim
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fork — in a road
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kid — child
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. board — a committee
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. board — to get on
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — to eat with

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com