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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 · stick · ground · bass · content · nail · bark · bear

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — the fish
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. content — happy
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — the earth
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tube — the underground
  16. content — the amount
  17. tube — a container
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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