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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 · wound · hide · can · club · object · game · fine

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — an aim
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wound — an injury
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wound — an injury
  13. object — a thing
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fine — all right
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fine — high quality
  22. object — to protest
  23. club — for golf
  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