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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — to be able to
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a path
  9. shower — to wash
  10. can — a tin
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bark — to shout
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — rain
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — to handle

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