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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 120 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. present — the time now
  3. season — in sport
  4. present — a gift
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. season — of the year
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — to shout
  18. present — there
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bass — low music
  24. bear — the animal

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