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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tube — a container
  3. craft — a skill
  4. firm — steady
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. tube — the underground
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bass — low music
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. craft — boats
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mark — a trace
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — a hat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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