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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
468
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: kid · land · board · bark · bulb · pass · mine · mark

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kid — to tease
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bulb — for light
  11. land — a country
  12. mark — a trace
  13. board — to get on
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — for digging
  18. land — to come down
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mark — a grade
  21. land — ground
  22. board — a committee
  23. bark — to shout
  24. kid — child

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