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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a committee
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fall — the season
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — to get on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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