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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: scale · date · bark · lash · bulb · rock · ground · bore

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. scale — in music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rock — music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. date — the fruit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ground — crushed
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bore — to drill

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