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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 120 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: mug · rest · bulb · bark · board · tube · fine · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — the underground
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rest — a break
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. board — a committee
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. board — to get on
  13. fine — all right
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mug — a cup
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bark — to shout
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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