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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: fan · rock · game · stick · bark · bay · hand · can

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — a match
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — help
  21. can — a tin
  22. rock — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. hand — part of the body

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