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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — to shout
  6. cap — a hat
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pop — music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cap — a lid
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bulb — of a plant

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