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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. firm — decided
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. court — for sport
  10. firm — steady
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. pass — a permit
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. firm — a company
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — for light

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