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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: jam · can · net · bark · rock · mine · last · fork

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rock — music
  4. last — to go on
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fork — in a road
  18. can — a tin
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. last — finally
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. 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