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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chest — of your body
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. firm — decided
  13. bass — low music
  14. firm — a company
  15. scale — in music
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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