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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — a container
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mark — a grade

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