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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tube — a container
  9. bass — low music
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — to shout
  13. object — an aim
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stand — to bear
  18. object — to protest
  19. march — music
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. stand — on your feet

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