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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. net — in sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. bass — the fish
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. net — for catching
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. game — a match
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. staff — employees
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — after costs

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