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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 116 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: bulb · ground · scale · kid · fine · tube · row · bark

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bulb — for light
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fine — all right
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — the earth
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — in music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. ground — a position
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — child
  24. tube — a container

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