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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. present — there
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mug — a cup
  12. object — an aim
  13. bulb — for light
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. mug — a face
  18. content — happy
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. object — to protest
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — army training
  24. object — a thing

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