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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. spell — magic
  6. craft — boats
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tube — a container
  9. spell — a short time
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — letters
  17. cap — a hat
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — a face
  20. cap — a lid
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — of ice
  24. tube — in a tire

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