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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: key · date · board · fan · present · ground · foot · bark

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. key — for a lock
  4. present — there
  5. ground — the earth
  6. board — a committee
  7. date — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. ground — a position
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — in music
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. board — to get on
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. present — the time now
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. present — a gift
  24. key — the most important part

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