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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: can · bark · kid · date · roll · cue · mug · staff

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. staff — a stick
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. cue — a hint
  7. staff — employees
  8. roll — a list
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — the fruit
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — for pool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. can — a tin
  18. kid — child
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — a cake
  24. mug — a face

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