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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. spell — letters
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mug — a face
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mark — a trace
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spell — magic
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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