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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — finally
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. last — to go on
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. last — final
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. stock — shares
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stock — goods
  24. dip — to sink

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