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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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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: roll · net · spring · calf · bark · can

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. spring — a coil
  3. roll — a cake
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. can — a tin
  9. spring — the season
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — in sport
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. spring — of water
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. can — to be able to

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