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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: last · bear · hand · pop · pit · bark · bank · mug

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pop — soda
  3. last — to go on
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. last — finally
  12. bank — for money
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — music
  21. last — final
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  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