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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — to shout
  7. board — a committee
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ball — a dance
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. toast — bread
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. file — a document
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — to get on
  24. file — a tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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