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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. scale — in music
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chip — for betting
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. scale — size or range
  15. bark — to shout
  16. chip — to eat
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. march — music

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