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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: spell · can · bay · degree · pit · nail · spring · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — a hole
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. degree — from a university
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — the season
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spring — of water
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. spell — a short time
  23. can — to be able to
  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