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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. date — the fruit
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pass — a permit
  13. roll — a list
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. key — in music
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. date — on the calendar

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