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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: club · calf · bark · net · object · board · bear · lean

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. board — a committee
  9. net — after costs
  10. object — a thing
  11. club — a group
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. object — an aim
  14. lean — to bend
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. lean — thin

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