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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. spring — the season
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. spring — of water
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. can — to be able to
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mug — to rob
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bulb — for light
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bark — to shout
  24. can — a tin

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