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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chip — to eat
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bass — the fish
  10. march — music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chest — a box
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chip — for betting
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bass — low music
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. march — the month
  24. coach — a trainer

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