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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bass — low music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. season — of the year
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — in sport
  20. chest — a box
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. season — to add flavour

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