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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. last — final
  3. suit — clothes
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. suit — in cards
  8. last — to go on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. content — happy
  12. pound — a weight
  13. suit — to fit
  14. last — finally
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. content — the amount
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bark — to shout

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