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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: saw · bulb · mine · mate · pop · stand · bark · rash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stand — to bear
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rash — hasty
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — soda
  17. mate — a friend
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rash — a series
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mate — a partner

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