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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.

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: tube · bat · jam · band · bark · fork · track · cue

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. track — a song
  4. cue — a hint
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. band — a music group
  10. track — a path
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. track — to keep track
  14. tube — a container
  15. band — a ring
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bark — of a tree

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