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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. spell — a short time
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — to shout
  12. march — music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — to trim
  18. march — the month
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — of ice
  21. key — the most important part
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — magic
  24. prune — to trim

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