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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: bark · bass · track · bat · last · wax · object · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. object — a thing
  6. bass — low music
  7. object — to protest
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. bat — the animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. last — finally
  20. track — a path
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wax — to grow
  24. object — an aim

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