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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.

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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: pitcher · lie · coach · bore · bulb · stick · bark · trunk

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — a trainer

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