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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. spring — of water
  6. can — a tin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — a coil
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. fine — high quality
  13. degree — from a university
  14. bark — to shout
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. press — to push
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fine — all right

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