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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: mine · roll · rock · nail · fan · march · bear · bark

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. march — the month
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — music
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. rock — music
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fan — a supporter

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