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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: firm · bark · mine · date · club · cap · row · bound

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. firm — steady
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bound — obliged
  9. row — a line
  10. firm — decided
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — for dancing
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. club — a group
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for golf
  21. bound — certain
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bark — to shout

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