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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 120 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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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: board · bear · ground · swing · fork · bark · stand · deal

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. stand — to bear
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. swing — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. board — to get on
  16. fork — in a road
  17. ground — a position
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. swing — to play 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