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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rule — a law
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rule — government
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. present — a gift
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. field — a subject
  14. present — there
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. present — the time now
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bark — to shout
  24. race — humankind

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