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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mark — a trace
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — a tin
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. mark — a grade
  17. drill — army training
  18. club — a group
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. club — for golf
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — for money

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