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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — to shout
  4. court — for sport
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. land — a country
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mine — for digging
  10. court — of a king
  11. board — a committee
  12. firm — a company
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of law
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lean — thin
  18. firm — steady
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. board — to get on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. land — to come down
  24. firm — decided

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