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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bound — obliged
  5. scale — in music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — of water
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. current — happening now
  11. ground — the earth
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bound — certain
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. current — electric
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. ground — crushed
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ground — a position

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