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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. capital — money
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — to go on
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bass — the fish
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. last — final
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bat — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — a cup
  21. last — finally
  22. bass — low music
  23. capital — a city
  24. tube — the underground

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