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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · calf · cap · arm · game · chair · staff · board

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — a committee
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cap — a lid
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — employees
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. game — wild animals
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — of ice
  23. game — a match
  24. staff — employees

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