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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. shower — rain
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — there
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — a committee
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — the time now
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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