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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: bulb · hand · game · dip · drill · degree · ruler · bark

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. dip — to sink
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. drill — a practice
  15. hand — in cards
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hand — help
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. game — wild animals
  20. drill — the tool
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bulb — for light

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