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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bat · bark · bay · suit · cold · pop · coach · bulb

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — music
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pop — soda
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bat — the animal
  17. cold — not warm
  18. suit — to fit
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pop — to visit

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