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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — in cards
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mine — for digging
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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