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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pop — soda
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. rock — a stone
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pop — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rock — music
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. game — a match
  22. wound — an injury
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. branch — a division

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