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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bark — to shout
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. mark — a grade
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. band — a ring
  16. key — for a lock
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. band — a music group

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