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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: nail · fork · bass · tube · bear · bark · deal · arm

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — the fish
  6. fork — in a road
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — a container
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bark — to shout
  20. deal — to handle
  21. bear — the animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bass — low music

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