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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: pitcher · present · tear · safe · board · bark · wound · craft

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — to get on
  5. wound — an injury
  6. present — a gift
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. present — there
  14. tear — from crying
  15. present — the time now
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. craft — a skill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  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