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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: file · suit · craft · mate · firm · bark · snap · ground

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. ground — a position
  9. firm — decided
  10. file — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ground — the earth
  15. firm — steady
  16. file — a document
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — to breed
  22. suit — to fit
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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