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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bass — low music
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. mark — a trace
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. can — a tin
  17. game — wild animals
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. fall — to drop
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. saw — the tool

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