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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: bulb · bass · clip · kick · bark · pitcher · saw · pass

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. saw — the tool
  4. clip — a video
  5. saw — the tool
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. clip — to cut
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — to shout
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pass — to spend time

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