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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. bank — for money
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. club — for dancing
  8. drill — army training
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — of a river
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. club — a group
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bear — the animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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