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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: saw · root · board · hand · firm · staff · bark · court

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. board — a committee
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — for sport
  7. saw — the tool
  8. board — to get on
  9. root — of a plant
  10. court — of law
  11. firm — a company
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. court — of a king
  14. root — the cause
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bark — to shout
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. saw — the tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. staff — employees

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