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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.

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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: object · nail · calf · board · bat · bulb · content · bark

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. object — to protest
  5. board — to get on
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. content — happy
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — a committee
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. content — the amount
  19. bark — to shout
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bat — for baseball

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