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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: bay · fine · mark · bark · club · can · content · rock

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — to shout
  10. fine — high quality
  11. club — for dancing
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — a group
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. club — for golf
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. mark — a trace
  23. can — to be able to
  24. rock — music

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