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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bulb — for light
  16. present — there
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pit — a hole
  22. present — the time now
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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