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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.

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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: jam · bark · chip · stand · bulb · mouse · sharp · spring

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — to eat
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bulb — for light
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. bark — to shout
  24. sharp — with an edge

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