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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — the sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bass — low music
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bark — to shout

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