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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: bark · pop · bore · roll · bulb · current · prune · ball

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — to trim
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pop — soda
  14. current — happening now
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pop — music
  19. current — electric
  20. bore — to tire
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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