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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: toast · bark · wound · pitch · rock · wave · present · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — a gift
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. toast — bread
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wound — an injury
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. present — there
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rock — music
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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