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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pop — music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — all right
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — child
  15. tube — a container
  16. kid — to tease
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pop — soda
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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