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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: bore · tube · rest · current · bark · staff · key · court

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. key — for a lock
  5. rest — what's left
  6. court — of law
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. court — of a king
  11. current — happening now
  12. staff — employees
  13. current — of water
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — electric
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. tube — a container
  21. bore — to drill
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. staff — employees

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