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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: tube · sharp · wave · game · net · foot · drill · bark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — after costs
  8. foot — a measure
  9. tube — the underground
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. game — wild animals
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — a container
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. sharp — clever
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. game — a match

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