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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bank — of a river
  6. squash — to crush
  7. date — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. bass — low music
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — the sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — of law
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. current — of water
  18. track — a path
  19. current — electric
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — for sport
  22. bass — the fish
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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