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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 · pop · chip · row · bay · scale · bark · tear

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. scale — in music
  4. tear — from crying
  5. row — to paddle
  6. pop — music
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tear — to rip
  10. row — a line
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tube — a container
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pop — to visit
  19. chip — to eat
  20. tube — the underground
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pop — soda

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