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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — steady
  3. object — to protest
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — a company
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. firm — decided
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — an aim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. patient — a sick person

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