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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. object — a thing
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — low music
  11. march — the month
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — the earth
  14. swing — music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ground — crushed
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — to play on
  20. object — an aim
  21. march — the month
  22. club — for golf
  23. march — music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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