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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pop — soda
  8. last — to go on
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. last — final
  13. charge — in control
  14. charge — a price
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — music
  21. last — finally
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. prune — the fruit

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