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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: pop · bark · row · rule · pitcher · object · bulb · band

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a line
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. object — to protest
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. band — a music group
  13. pop — soda
  14. rule — a law
  15. object — an aim
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — government
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pop — music
  23. object — a thing
  24. band — a ring

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