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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 120 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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  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 — for light
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bank — for money
  4. ground — crushed
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bank — of a river
  9. object — an aim
  10. bank — for money
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. object — a thing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chest — of your body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chest — a box
  23. object — to protest
  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