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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: bark · cue · roll · wake · current · hand · craft · can

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. cue — a signal
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. can — to be able to
  7. roll — a list
  8. craft — boats
  9. current — of water
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — happening now
  13. roll — a cake
  14. can — a tin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wake — a trail
  18. current — electric
  19. cue — a hint
  20. craft — a skill
  21. hand — in cards
  22. hand — help
  23. bark — to shout
  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