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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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 — the underground
  3. can — to be able to
  4. craft — boats
  5. swing — to play on
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. pop — to visit
  8. swing — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. bark — to shout
  11. root — the cause
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. can — a tin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pop — music
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. root — of a plant
  23. can — a tin
  24. tube — a container

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