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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: bark · content · board · chest · fan · mug · craft · dip

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. content — the amount
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. content — happy
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mug — a cup
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chest — of your body
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chest — of your body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bark — to shout
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. craft — a skill
  21. chest — a box
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. craft — boats

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