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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.

Words on the sheet
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: mug · lie · pit · present · bark · bulb · bound · club

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. club — for golf
  9. bark — to shout
  10. present — the time now
  11. mug — to rob
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. club — for dancing
  15. lie — to recline
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — in a race
  19. club — a group
  20. bound — certain
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mug — a face

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