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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: fine · mouse · club · can · bear · bark · bat · wind

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fine — all right
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. club — a group
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wind — to turn a key

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