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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 120 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: can · bark · pitcher · foot · bulb · track · lean · cell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bulb — for light
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cell — in biology
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. track — to keep track
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — a song
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — a measure
  19. track — a path
  20. cell — a phone
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bark — of a tree

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