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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: pop · squash · tube · date · key · rock · bark · kick

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. rock — music
  2. kick — in football
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — the underground
  7. key — for a lock
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pop — soda
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — a container
  14. squash — the sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. key — the most important part
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. key — in music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pop — to visit
  23. squash — to crush
  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