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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: mouse · hand · tube · mark · coach · deal · bark · bowl

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hand — in cards
  16. tube — a container
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mark — to pay attention

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