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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. board — a committee
  3. bulb — for light
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. tube — the underground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bark — to shout
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. prune — to trim
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. tube — a container

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