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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: snap · bark · march · court · band · nail · bowl · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. rock — a stone
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. march — the month
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. band — a music group
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. snap — to click
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. march — music
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. band — a ring
  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