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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: rule · track · staff · board · tube · present · bark · hand

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. present — there
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. present — the time now
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rule — a law
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a path
  20. rule — government
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. staff — employees
  23. bark — of a tree
  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