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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
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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: foot · cold · court · bark · prune · lean · board · craft

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — boats
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. board — a committee
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — for sport
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. court — of law
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. court — of a king
  18. craft — a skill
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — a flat piece

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