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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: game · kick · can · deal · nail · track · bark · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. land — ground
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — to shout
  11. deal — to handle
  12. can — to be able to
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. game — a match
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — a country
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. kick — in football
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. deal — a big deal

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