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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. tube — a container
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — a tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. track — a path
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. tube — in a tire

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