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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. roll — a cake
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bass — low music
  9. squash — the sport
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. squash — to crush
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rock — music
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. roll — a list
  21. march — music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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