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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · leaves · coach · squash · content · jam · bark · tube

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bark — to shout
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. content — happy
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — the underground
  15. squash — the sport
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. content — the amount
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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