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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bass — the fish
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bass — low music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — animal skin

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