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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: track · toast · land · can · bark · pop · cap · fine

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. can — a tin
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. track — to keep track
  11. can — to be able to
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fine — all right
  15. land — a country
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. fine — high quality
  19. track — a path
  20. pop — music
  21. cap — a hat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. track — a song
  24. toast — bread

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