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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. bark — to shout
  5. field — for sport
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — steady
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. roll — a cake
  10. tube — a container
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. roll — a list
  13. bulb — for light
  14. content — happy
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. firm — a company
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. firm — decided
  22. content — the amount
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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