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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: track · fan · band · nail · bark · can · jam · hand

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — help
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. band — a ring
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. track — a path
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. can — a tin
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hand — in cards
  19. track — to keep track
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. bark — of a tree

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