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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 124 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tube — a container
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cell — a phone
  11. firm — steady
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. spell — magic
  18. firm — a company
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. stand — to bear
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pop — soda

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