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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: mark · squash · dip · tube · bark · bowl · cue · stick

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bark — to shout
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — for pool
  10. tube — a container
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. squash — the sport
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cue — a hint
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bowl — to roll

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