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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: pit · land · rush · hide · board · bulb · bark · date

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. land — to come down
  4. board — a committee
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. land — a country
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. land — ground
  11. board — to get on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — a hole
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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