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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · bulb · trunk · chip · bowl · cap · fork · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. bark — to shout
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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