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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: bark · arm · bulb · cue · content · ground · object · mouse

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. content — happy
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — an aim
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cue — a signal
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. content — the amount
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. arm — a part of something

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