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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — music
  6. rock — music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. court — for sport
  14. pop — soda
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. wax — to grow
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — a stone

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