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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: bear · bark · mouse · date · row · rock · tube · staff

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. staff — a stick
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bear — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — employees
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rock — a stone
  20. staff — employees
  21. tube — a container
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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