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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 · deal · board · stand · chip · wound · land · bark

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. wound — an injury
  3. land — to come down
  4. board — to get on
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chip — to eat
  10. land — ground
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a committee
  15. stand — to bear
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. content — the amount
  22. chip — for betting
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. content — videos and posts

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