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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. board — to get on
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. chip — for betting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ball — a dance
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — to eat
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. board — a committee
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — the fruit

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