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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. craft — boats
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. shower — rain
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — to shout
  10. field — farmland
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. land — ground
  13. field — for sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. land — a country
  20. field — a subject
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pit — a hole
  24. craft — a handicraft

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