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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: bark · firm · mate · bass · spring · cabinet · jam · tube

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bark — to shout
  4. spring — the season
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bass — low music
  8. tube — a container
  9. firm — steady
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. firm — a company
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. firm — decided
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. mate — a partner

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