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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: bark · root · present · calf · fine · jam · board · pound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. board — a committee
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. root — the cause
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. present — the time now
  14. board — to get on
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bark — to shout
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. root — of a word
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. present — a gift

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