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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. suit — clothes
  5. field — farmland
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. suit — in cards
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rock — music
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. bass — low music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — to shout
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — a short time

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