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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 120 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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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: track · spell · deal · bay · can · trunk · firm · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. deal — to handle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. spell — letters
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. track — a song
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. firm — decided
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — a path
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. spell — magic
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. firm — a company

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