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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: bulb · tube · march · chip · last · bark · temple · jam

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tube — the underground
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. last — to go on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. last — final
  10. bulb — for light
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bark — to shout
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — for betting
  16. march — music
  17. last — finally
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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