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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rock — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. can — to be able to
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mate — a partner
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. can — a tin

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