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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. club — a group
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. club — for golf
  6. bulb — for light
  7. deal — to handle
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — army training
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — a practice
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. perch — the fish
  22. club — for dancing
  23. last — final
  24. deal — a big deal

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