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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 · coach · bowl · plane · swing · arm · foot · bulb

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — for light
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bark — to shout
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. swing — in golf
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. plane — a tool
  24. swing — music

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