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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — a series
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. suit — clothes
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — size or range
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — in music

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