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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 · rule · bear · nail · season · can · bass · track

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. season — in sport
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rule — a law
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. track — a song
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. season — of the year
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rule — government
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. track — a path
  23. bark — to shout
  24. nail — for a hammer

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