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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a match

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