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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 120 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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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 · chair · wave · bark · mark · firm · pound · current

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. current — of water
  4. firm — steady
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a grade
  7. firm — decided
  8. tube — a container
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. current — electric
  13. firm — a company
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. current — happening now
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chair — a leader
  24. tube — the underground

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