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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · stick · chair · can · board · mark · bark · cabinet

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — to be able to
  7. board — a committee
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mark — a trace
  10. current — happening now
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. can — a tin
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — to get on
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. can — a tin

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