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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. squash — to crush
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. deal — to handle
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bark — to shout
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. suit — clothes
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kid — to tease
  20. suit — to fit
  21. squash — the sport
  22. kid — child
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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