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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 · root · calf · bay · jam · bark · trunk · tube

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. tube — the underground
  7. root — the cause
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. root — of a word
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — to shout
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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