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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: wave · can · roll · hand · pound · bark · content · bulb

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — in cards
  3. content — the amount
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. content — happy
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. roll — a list
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. can — a tin
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pound — a weight
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bulb — for light
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — help

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