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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 116 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: bulb · fan · bark · racket · board · patient · trunk · dip

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — to shout
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. dip — to sink
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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