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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. present — there
  11. scale — in music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. present — a gift
  15. bark — to shout
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — a group
  18. bulb — for light
  19. perch — the fish
  20. club — for golf
  21. land — ground
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — a country

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