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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. tube — a container
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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