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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: club · suit · bark · squash · pop · stick · leaves · track

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a path
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pop — to visit
  8. track — a song
  9. suit — clothes
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pop — music
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — to shout
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pop — soda
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — of a tree

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