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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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468
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: dip · bulb · arm · fork · jam · band · cabinet · bark

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. band — a music group
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bulb — for light
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. band — a ring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fork — in a road
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bark — to shout
  24. arm — part of the body

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