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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: rock · bark · bound · present · spell · roll · net · kick

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bound — certain
  4. net — in sport
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. net — for catching
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bark — to shout
  16. roll — a list
  17. present — there
  18. net — after costs
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. spell — letters
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spell — magic
  23. kick — in football
  24. present — the time now

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