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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. key — for a lock
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. key — in music
  11. present — there
  12. mark — a trace
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — a container
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — the time now
  18. mark — a grade
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. key — the most important part
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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