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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: bass · bound · bulb · craft · deal · bark · last · club

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. club — for golf
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bark — to shout
  10. club — a group
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. craft — boats
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bound — obliged
  24. last — final

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