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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: rush · land · mark · game · bark · chair · calf · board

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — a grade
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. chair — a leader
  12. game — wild animals
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — to get on
  21. land — a country
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. chair — a professorship

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