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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · tube · jam · bark · deal · mine · clip · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bark — to shout
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. key — for a lock
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. tube — a container
  19. clip — a video
  20. key — the most important part
  21. mine — for digging
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mouse — the animal

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