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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 124 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. bark — to shout
  8. track — to keep track
  9. rush — hurry
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — low music
  15. track — a song
  16. track — a path
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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