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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rest · ball · content · roll · bear · bark · tube · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ball — a great time
  3. content — happy
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. foot — a measure
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bark — to shout
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tube — the underground
  16. content — the amount
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rest — what's left

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