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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: roll · tube · arm · stick · bark · pound · mark · mate

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mate — a friend
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. tube — a container
  13. roll — a list
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. roll — a cake
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mate — a partner
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mate — to breed
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. arm — a part of something

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