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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: cold · bulb · bark · fine · fork · can · content · jam

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. fine — all right
  5. bulb — for light
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. content — happy
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. can — to be able to
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bulb — for light
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fine — high quality

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