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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: band · board · suit · pop · fan · bear · bark · foot

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — music
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. board — a committee
  7. pop — to visit
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. suit — in cards
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — soda
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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