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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: tube · season · chip · rock · racket · suit · leaves · bark

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rock — music
  3. season — in sport
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — the underground
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bark — to shout
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. rock — to move gently

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