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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. tube — a container
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bank — for money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. roll — a list
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. present — the time now
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. tube — the underground
  21. present — a gift
  22. bank — of a river
  23. stand — to bear
  24. present — there

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