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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: board · bat · bulb · fork · face · rule · bound · bark

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. bark — to shout
  3. face — part of the head
  4. board — a committee
  5. bound — certain
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. rule — a law
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bat — the animal
  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