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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. season — of the year
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. bark — to shout
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. season — in sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. fork — a garden tool

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