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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. snap — to click
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — low music
  12. pop — soda
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. lie — an untruth

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