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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. ground — a position
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bass — low music
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. tube — a container
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ground — the earth
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. firm — a company
  17. season — in sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. mark — a grade
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — of the year
  23. pound — a weight
  24. firm — decided

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