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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. prune — to trim
  6. present — the time now
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a friend
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. present — there
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. present — a gift
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a partner
  17. tube — a container
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bark — to shout
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. dip — to dunk

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