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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. march — music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chest — of your body
  5. object — a thing
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. object — to protest
  10. charge — in control
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. chest — a box
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. object — an aim
  24. mouse — for a computer

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