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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: can · rush · bark · ground · spell · staff · dip · racket

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. ground — crushed
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rush — hurry
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — magic
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — to be able to
  15. staff — a stick
  16. can — a tin
  17. ground — a position
  18. staff — employees
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. staff — employees
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bark — a dog's sound

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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