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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. craft — boats
  4. mug — to rob
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tube — a container
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cue — a signal
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — a face
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. craft — a skill
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. cue — for pool
  24. trunk — of a tree

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