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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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Word bank
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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: tear · court · bulb · fan · current · mate · bark · nail

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. tear — to rip
  7. current — happening now
  8. court — of a king
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — to shout
  12. current — electric
  13. court — for sport
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a friend
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. court — of law
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bark — of a tree

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