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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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — to protest
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. foot — a measure
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — to shout
  8. object — an aim
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. suit — clothes
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. suit — in cards
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. object — a thing
  23. bulb — for light
  24. foot — the bottom

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