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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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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 · net · cap · arm · bulb · file · pitch · wave

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. file — a document
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. bulb — for light
  24. net — for catching

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