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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: bore · net · chip · bark · date · arm · board · shower

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bark — to shout
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. shower — rain
  7. net — in sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bore — to tire
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — after costs
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bore — to drill
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. net — for catching
  23. chip — for betting
  24. board — a committee

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