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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. present — a gift
  6. bark — to shout
  7. scale — in music
  8. present — the time now
  9. bass — the fish
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. present — there
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — a group
  18. bass — low music
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. club — for golf
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bear — the animal

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