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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 120 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: mine · bark · craft · fine · root · cue · tube · bear

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mine — for digging
  4. root — the cause
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cue — a hint
  11. fine — high quality
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. root — of a word
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. root — of a plant
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — belonging to me

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