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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. object — an aim
  3. row — to paddle
  4. march — music
  5. object — a thing
  6. bass — low music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. march — the month
  14. spring — a coil
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. object — to protest
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — to shout
  19. spring — of water
  20. march — the month
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. spring — the season
  23. row — a line
  24. nail — on a finger

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