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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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. court — of a king
  3. perch — the fish
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. court — of law
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. court — for sport
  11. scale — in music
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pit — a hole
  16. scale — size or range
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — to sink
  21. key — in music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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