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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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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: kick · bark · mine · band · bay · suit · pound · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a ring
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pound — a weight
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. present — a gift
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. suit — to fit
  24. present — the time now

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