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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 120 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: net · bark · club · band · fine · pitcher · bowl · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. band — a ring
  4. fine — all right
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. net — in sport
  11. band — a music group
  12. club — a group
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. fine — high quality
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mouse — the animal

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