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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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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: march · bark · pound · tube · pass · stick · row · temple

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. march — the month
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. row — a line
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. tube — the underground

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