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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: mug · safe · bat · fork · pitcher · bark · bulb · march

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — the month

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