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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: stand · club · lash · current · leaves · pitcher · bark · track

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — of water
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. track — a song
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. current — happening now
  7. club — a group
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — to bear
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. club — for dancing
  20. track — to keep track
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — electric
  24. club — for golf

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