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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
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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: rock · game · track · bark · stick · bay · bound · shower

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bark — to shout
  12. shower — rain
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. shower — to wash
  16. track — a song
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. track — a path
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bound — certain
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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