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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. pound — a weight
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. drill — a practice
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — army training
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — to handle

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