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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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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. drill — a practice
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bound — tied together
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bound — certain
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. drill — the tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. trunk — of a tree

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