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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.

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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: can · board · bank · bark · fan · chair · game · mine

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a leader
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bank — of a river
  9. can — a tin
  10. board — a committee
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. game — a match
  17. bark — to shout
  18. can — to be able to
  19. board — to get on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — for digging

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