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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. content — happy
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. content — the amount
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kid — child
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kid — to tease

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