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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bulb — for light
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — a series
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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