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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. rock — music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. firm — decided
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a hole
  21. last — to go on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bulb — for light

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