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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. scale — in music
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. scale — size or range
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tube — the underground
  17. board — a committee
  18. date — the fruit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. tube — a container
  24. scale — for weighing

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