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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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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: tube · bass · bark · march · bear · sharp · rock · object

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. object — an aim
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bass — low music
  7. tube — the underground
  8. march — the month
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. march — the month
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. object — a thing
  19. march — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rock — music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — the fish

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