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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. present — there
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — high quality
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — the time now
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — a gift
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. object — a thing
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. object — an aim

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