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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bark — to shout
  5. board — to get on
  6. tube — the underground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. board — a committee
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pop — soda
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — rain

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