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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — low music
  6. scale — in music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bark — to shout
  17. kick — in football
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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