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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · pit · tear · bark · bay · jam · tube · date

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tear — to rip
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tube — a container
  10. net — in sport
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — for catching
  17. pit — a hole
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. net — after costs
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pit — in a race
  24. date — on the calendar

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