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

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. firm — decided
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. tube — a container
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pit — a hole
  22. firm — a company
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pit — in a race

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