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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lean — thin
  8. stock — shares
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ground — the earth
  11. club — for golf
  12. ground — a position
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. stock — goods
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. club — a group
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. ground — crushed
  24. club — for dancing

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