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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: coach · arm · present · stick · content · tube · bulb · bark

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. content — happy
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — there
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bark — to shout
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — the amount
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — a container

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