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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bark — to shout
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. tube — a container
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. swing — music
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. roll — a cake
  19. swing — to play on
  20. toast — bread
  21. cell — a phone
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — the underground

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