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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — a thing
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pop — soda
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. can — a tin
  21. object — an aim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. object — to protest
  24. rule — to rule out

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