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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bass — low music
  3. pop — soda
  4. court — of a king
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pop — to visit
  12. rest — a break
  13. pop — music
  14. rest — what's left
  15. land — to come down
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. land — ground
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — a country
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bark — to shout

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