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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bulb — for light
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. root — the cause
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mate — to breed
  18. root — of a word
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. object — a thing
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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