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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. plane — a tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — to be able to
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. club — for golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. club — a group

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