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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 · firm · board · land · bark · club · tube · tear

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. club — for golf
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — a container
  8. firm — a company
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — decided
  11. land — a country
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. club — for dancing
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. tear — to rip
  17. land — ground
  18. firm — steady
  19. club — a group
  20. board — a committee
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — from crying

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