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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: craft · lean · date · rush · bark · pitcher · bulb · swing

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — to shout
  13. date — the fruit
  14. craft — boats
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. swing — in golf
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. swing — to play on
  24. date — on the calendar

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