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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. firm — decided
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. drill — army training
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. tube — a container
  18. snap — to click
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. drill — the tool
  22. firm — a company
  23. tube — the underground
  24. firm — steady

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