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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: degree · band · nail · saw · present · bark · mouse · foot

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. present — there
  3. degree — from a university
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bark — to shout
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. degree — an amount
  11. present — the time now
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — a measure
  14. present — a gift
  15. saw — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. degree — temperature
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. band — a music group
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. saw — the tool

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