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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — wild animals
  8. mug — a face
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — a partner
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — to rob

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