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

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. club — for dancing
  4. track — a song
  5. spell — magic
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. band — a music group
  9. club — for golf
  10. spell — letters
  11. band — a ring
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. can — to be able to
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spell — a short time
  18. track — a path
  19. club — a group
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. track — to keep track
  24. can — a tin

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