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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: mouse · club · can · bark · leaves · wake · ground · object

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ground — a position
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bark — to shout
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. club — a group
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. object — an aim
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — crushed
  18. can — a tin
  19. object — a thing
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. club — for golf

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