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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: key · cue · date · jam · band · bark · tube · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. date — the fruit
  3. band — a ring
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. key — the most important part
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — the underground
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — for a lock
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a music group
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. key — in music
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. jam — in traffic

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