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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. swing — in golf
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. last — final
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. swing — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. last — to go on
  23. last — finally
  24. bulb — for light

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