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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: ruler · hand · pound · bark · date · fan · can · stem

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hand — in cards
  3. bark — to shout
  4. can — a tin
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stem — to come from
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. can — a tin
  13. hand — help
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. date — the fruit
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pound — a weight
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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