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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. band — a music group
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. band — a ring
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. club — for golf
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. club — a group
  24. bark — to shout

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