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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — for sport
  5. field — farmland
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bank — for money
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mark — a grade
  16. land — a country
  17. bark — to shout
  18. field — a subject
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. lean — thin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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