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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — a series
  5. can — to be able to
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. board — to get on
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — for light
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bark — to shout
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. racket — a loud noise

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