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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — the fish
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pit — in a race
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. pit — a hole
  16. field — a subject
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. field — farmland
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bass — low music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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