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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: bark · board · tear · present · firm · file · scale · stem

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. firm — a company
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a document
  7. present — the time now
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. present — a gift
  13. scale — in music
  14. firm — decided
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. scale — size or range
  17. firm — steady
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stem — to come from
  20. present — there
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bark — to shout
  24. board — to get on

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