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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. band — a music group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bark — to shout
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bass — low music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. band — a ring

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