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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — in music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. key — in music
  6. date — the fruit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — for a lock
  21. pit — a hole
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. date — on the calendar

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