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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. wound — an injury
  6. drill — army training
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. board — a committee
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. board — to get on
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bark — to shout
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bank — of a river
  24. sharp — with an edge

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