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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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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: bank · pound · date · stick · bark · cap · fan · chair

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — the fruit
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bark — to shout
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bank — of a river
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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