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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: cue · cabinet · leaves · tube · date · land · coach · bark

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tube — a container
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. land — ground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. land — a country
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cue — a hint
  21. tube — the underground
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. land — to come down

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