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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. prune — to trim
  7. bass — low music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bass — the fish
  11. board — to get on
  12. bank — of a river
  13. clip — for paper
  14. prune — to trim
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. clip — to cut
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rock — a stone
  23. clip — a video
  24. board — a committee

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