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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 116 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — ground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. land — a country
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — for light
  12. land — to come down
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. object — to protest
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — of law
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. object — an aim
  19. court — of a king
  20. object — a thing
  21. court — for sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tube — the underground

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