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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · tube · bark · cold · mark · row · content · fine

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tube — the underground
  3. row — to paddle
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a grade
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. content — the amount
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. row — a line
  15. bark — to shout
  16. cold — an illness
  17. content — happy
  18. tube — a container
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cold — not warm
  24. row — a quarrel

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