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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 · chip · cue · rash · bore · stick · bear · bulb

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rash — a series
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

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