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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 120 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. pound — a weight
  6. face — to confront
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. spell — letters
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. bear — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bass — low music
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chip — to eat
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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