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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: mate · season · bark · can · board · bound · land · arm

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bound — obliged
  7. land — ground
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. can — to be able to
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. season — in sport
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. land — a country
  19. board — a committee
  20. season — of the year
  21. can — a tin
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. land — to come down

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