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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 · bark · can · pit · cabinet · game · fan · sharp

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. tube — a container
  8. bark — to shout
  9. tube — the underground
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — in a race
  17. game — a match
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — a hole
  24. game — a kind of play

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