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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: ground · bark · can · racket · cue · prune · kid · bank

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cue — for pool
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. prune — to trim
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. can — a tin
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — the earth
  17. prune — to trim
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bank — of a river
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bank — for money
  24. prune — the fruit

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