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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. tube — a container
  6. present — a gift
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. present — the time now
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — to get on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. present — there
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — to cool the air

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