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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. toast — bread
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. land — ground
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — a country
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pitch — completely

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