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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — clever
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. branch — a division
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bass — the fish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. branch — of a bank

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