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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 116 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: squash · rock · pop · cell · bark · fan · bulb · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pop — soda
  24. bark — of a tree

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