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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pop — music
  4. prune — to trim
  5. shower — rain
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. charge — in control
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. key — in music
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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