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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a great time
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fall — the season
  24. dip — to dunk

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