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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — to point toward
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. face — to confront
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. scale — size or range
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bark — to shout
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. scale — in music
  14. face — part of the head
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. swing — to play on
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. swing — music
  19. stock — shares
  20. bass — low music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. stock — goods

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