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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. snap — to click
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kid — child
  21. bass — low music
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. pitcher — a jug

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