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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. last — final
  3. can — a tin
  4. last — to go on
  5. club — for golf
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. can — a tin
  9. bark — to shout
  10. club — for dancing
  11. can — to be able to
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. club — a group
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bass — low music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. last — finally
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bark — of a tree

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