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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. toast — bread
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. net — after costs
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bass — the fish
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fork — in a road
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bark — to shout
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bass — low music

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