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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: bay · track · sharp · tube · net · bark · mate · jam

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. track — to keep track
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. net — for catching
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. track — a path
  12. sharp — clever
  13. track — a song
  14. mate — a friend
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. bark — to shout
  17. net — in sport
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tube — a container
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. net — after costs
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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