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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — a lid
  5. band — a music group
  6. object — an aim
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bark — to shout
  9. band — a ring
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — farmland
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. mark — a grade
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cap — a hat
  19. object — to protest
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. field — for sport
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. field — a subject
  24. bark — 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