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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — low music
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. degree — from a university
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bass — the fish
  9. object — an aim
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. drill — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — army training
  18. object — a thing
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bass — the instrument

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