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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: mark · bowl · tube · rush · bark · game · hide · mug

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. mug — a cup
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mug — a face
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bark — to shout

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