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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ball — a great time
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. march — music
  6. spring — of water
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. spring — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — to shout
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bass — low music
  21. spring — a coil
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. mouse — for a computer

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