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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. net — for catching
  3. cue — a signal
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rest — what's left
  6. net — in sport
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rest — a break
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. rock — a stone
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. rock — music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. net — after costs
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bark — to shout

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