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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fall — to drop
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pop — soda
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fall — the season
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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