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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bass — low music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bat — in an idiom

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