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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · cold · mouse · bark · craft · pitcher · rest · present

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. craft — boats
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. present — there
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cold — not warm
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. can — to be able to

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