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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 116 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: bark · track · hand · bear · bowl · pop · current · snap

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pop — soda
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pop — to visit
  11. current — happening now
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. snap — to click
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. current — electric
  17. track — to keep track
  18. current — of water
  19. pop — music
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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