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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 · tube · craft · wake · pass · bay · bat · fork

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wake — a trail
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. fork — in a road
  9. craft — boats
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pass — a permit
  14. tube — a container
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tube — the underground
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bat — in an idiom

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