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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: tube · bark · object · court · dip · suit · kick · wound

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. kick — in football
  3. object — an aim
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tube — a container
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. court — for sport
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. court — of a king
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. suit — to fit
  20. court — of law
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bark — to shout
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wound — an injury

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