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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: cap · bear · game · branch · object · staff · bark · tube

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. tube — the underground
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cap — a lid
  11. object — a thing
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — a container
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — to protest
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — a stick
  19. game — a match
  20. cap — a hat
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — an aim

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