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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — in a road
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. degree — an amount
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bark — to shout

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