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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. roll — a list
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. field — farmland
  7. board — a committee
  8. suit — clothes
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. field — for sport
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a tool
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. file — a document
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. field — a subject
  17. file — a line of people
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stem — to come from
  23. suit — in cards
  24. roll — a cake

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