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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: fall · bark · mouse · club · fork · can · mate · rest

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mate — a friend
  9. club — for golf
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. can — a tin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rest — a break
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fall — the season
  24. club — for dancing

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