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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — for sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. court — of a king
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. band — a music group
  9. court — of law
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. bass — low music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. firm — a company
  19. present — there
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. band — a ring
  23. present — the time now
  24. bass — the instrument

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