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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. rock — a stone
  9. face — to confront
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pound — a weight
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. rock — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bulb — for light
  24. face — to point toward

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