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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.

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 · can · stem · ruler · tube · club · board · court

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. tube — a container
  3. club — for golf
  4. court — for sport
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — a tin
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. club — for dancing
  16. board — a committee
  17. court — of a king
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — a group
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. court — of law
  24. can — a tin

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