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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. track — a path
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mug — a cup
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bass — low music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — a division
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — to rob
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mug — a face

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