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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
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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: bark · mark · club · wax · tube · fall · coach · firm

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. firm — decided
  3. club — for golf
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — a group
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a trace
  20. firm — a company
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — to shout
  23. tube — a container
  24. coach — a trainer

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