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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. key — in music
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — for a lock
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. net — in sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. key — the most important part
  21. net — for catching
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. net — after costs
  24. racket — a loud noise

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