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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 116 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: tube · bark · track · racket · staff · wound · firm · spell

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — a song
  4. staff — employees
  5. firm — a company
  6. track — to keep track
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spell — letters
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. track — a path
  14. wound — an injury
  15. firm — steady
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. staff — employees
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wound — an injury
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. firm — decided
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tube — a container

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