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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 · trunk · net · field · bulb · bark · jam · bank

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bank — for money
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. field — for sport
  9. bark — to shout
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — for catching
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. net — after costs
  14. bank — of a river
  15. field — farmland
  16. saw — the tool
  17. field — a subject
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bank — for money
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. net — in sport

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