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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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — to keep track
  3. shower — rain
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. scale — in music
  6. bark — to shout
  7. chest — of your body
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — the fish
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bass — low music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chest — a box
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. track — a path
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bass — the instrument

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