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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. root — of a word
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lean — to bend
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lean — thin
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bass — low music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a great time
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. root — the cause

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