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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. tube — the underground
  6. band — a music group
  7. spring — of water
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. tube — a container
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. bank — for money
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. band — a ring
  21. bank — of a river
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. fan — a supporter

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