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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bass — low music
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bass — the fish
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bank — for money
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bank — for money
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stock — shares
  20. tube — a container
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stock — goods
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bark — of a tree

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