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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. craft — boats
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. field — farmland
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bark — to shout
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — tied together
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. firm — steady
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. field — for sport
  23. bound — certain
  24. firm — decided

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