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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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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 · row · foot · club · bulb · mark · lash · degree

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. row — to paddle
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. degree — from a university
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bulb — for light
  13. mark — a trace
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bulb — for light
  17. club — a group
  18. degree — an amount
  19. foot — a measure
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. club — for golf
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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