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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — low music
  4. bark — to shout
  5. game — a match
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bass — the fish
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. staff — a stick
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cap — a hat

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