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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — there
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — a leader
  10. present — a gift
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bulb — for light
  22. band — a ring
  23. present — the time now
  24. snap — to click

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