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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 124 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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — a gift
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. present — the time now
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. rock — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. tube — a container
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. present — there
  24. straw — a straw man

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