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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bass — low music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bass — the fish
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a great time
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. scale — in music
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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