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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. band — a ring
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — in golf
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bass — the fish
  19. swing — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bass — low music
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. swing — to play on

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