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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mug — to rob
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. band — a music group
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a face
  16. bass — low music
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. spell — magic
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — a cup
  24. bass — the fish

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