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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: rest · land · degree · craft · board · calf · bark · tube

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. tube — the underground
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. craft — boats
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. land — to come down
  18. tube — a container
  19. degree — temperature
  20. land — ground
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. degree — an amount
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. board — to get on

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