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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: rock · craft · bark · last · pound · suit · shower · firm

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. last — to go on
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. suit — clothes
  7. firm — steady
  8. rock — music
  9. last — finally
  10. pound — a weight
  11. last — final
  12. shower — rain
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — to shout
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rock — a stone
  17. craft — boats
  18. firm — decided
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. shower — to wash
  23. suit — in cards
  24. pound — to hit hard

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