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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a song
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stock — shares
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — a container
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pound — a weight
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. track — a path
  22. stock — goods
  23. fine — high quality
  24. fork — to eat with

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