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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. object — a thing
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. clip — a video
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. object — to protest
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. clip — to cut
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. fine — all right

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