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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: hand · can · stand · bat · deal · bark · racket · bear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. can — a tin
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hand — help
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bat — the animal

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