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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · bark · stick · band · can · racket · sharp · roll

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. roll — a cake
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bark — to shout
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. can — to be able to
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a music group
  24. can — a tin

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