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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. snap — to click
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bark — to shout
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stock — shares
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stock — goods
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — for light

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