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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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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: hand · bound · calf · net · bark · deal · bank · ground

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bound — certain
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bank — for money
  9. hand — help
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — in sport
  13. bank — of a river
  14. ground — a position
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bound — tied together
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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