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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: bulb · mark · current · bark · key · pop · roll · lean

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — to shout
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. roll — a list
  10. lean — thin
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — happening now
  16. key — the most important part
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. lean — to bend
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. key — in music
  24. mark — to pay attention

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