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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — farmland
  8. firm — decided
  9. mug — to rob
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. can — a tin
  14. field — for sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — a company
  18. mug — a face
  19. kid — child
  20. bark — to shout
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. firm — steady
  23. kid — to tease
  24. field — a subject

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