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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: craft · bark · bowl · ball · trunk · foot · chip · lean

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — boats
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. lean — thin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. chip — to eat
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. foot — the bottom

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