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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: cap · foot · bark · squash · bank · cabinet · wind · pitcher

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bank — for money
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wind — moving air
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — to shout
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. foot — a measure
  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