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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 120 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
468
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 · pound · land · craft · board · face · stick · game

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. board — to get on
  5. bark — to shout
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — a match
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. land — a country
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. craft — boats
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. board — a committee
  18. game — wild animals
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. face — part of the head
  24. craft — a handicraft

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