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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — to bear
  5. foot — a measure
  6. club — for golf
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. hand — help
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — the underground
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hand — in cards
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stand — for spectators

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