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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bark — to shout
  5. tube — a container
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. prune — to trim
  9. tube — the underground
  10. capital — a city
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. file — a document
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. capital — money
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. file — a line of people
  23. prune — to trim
  24. hide — animal skin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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