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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — music
  5. spell — magic
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spell — letters
  9. pop — soda
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — a cake
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. content — the amount
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bulb — for light
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — happy
  24. jam — a tight spot

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