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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: straw · arm · bark · object · bulb · content · game · charge

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. charge — electricity
  9. game — a match
  10. content — the amount
  11. game — wild animals
  12. object — to protest
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bark — to shout
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. charge — in control
  20. bulb — for light
  21. charge — a price
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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