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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: content · present · craft · lash · board · fork · roll · bark

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. content — happy
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. present — a gift
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. roll — a list
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. present — there
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. board — to get on
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bark — to shout
  21. present — the time now
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. content — the amount
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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