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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: suit · foot · bound · bark · bear · can · net · pop

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. net — in sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bound — certain
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bark — to shout
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. suit — in cards
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pop — music
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pop — soda
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — clothes
  24. foot — the bottom

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