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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. season — of the year
  15. bark — to shout
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. season — in sport
  21. current — happening now
  22. can — a tin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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