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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bark — to shout
  3. court — for sport
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. court — of law
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mate — a friend
  13. court — of a king
  14. rock — music
  15. tube — a container
  16. rush — hurry
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — a thrill

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