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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. scale — in music
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. face — to confront
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. spell — magic
  20. scale — size or range
  21. spell — letters
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  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