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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: bark · bulb · field · ruler · bound · bass · cabinet · hand

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bass — low music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bass — the fish
  9. field — a subject
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bulb — for light
  12. field — for sport
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — certain
  15. field — farmland
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. hand — help
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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