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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. drill — army training
  6. bark — to shout
  7. drill — a practice
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a ring
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. band — a music group
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ball — a great time
  24. chip — in a computer

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