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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — a division
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. staff — employees
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — the animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. rash — hasty
  20. deal — to handle
  21. staff — a stick
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — to shout

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