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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: mark · bass · rule · bark · tube · saw · season · can

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. can — a tin
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — of the year
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bass — the fish

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