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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 120 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: snap · march · mine · cap · foot · fine · bark · object

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. march — the month
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. fine — high quality
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bark — to shout
  19. snap — to click
  20. object — an aim
  21. cap — of ice
  22. object — a thing
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. object — to protest

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