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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — to shout
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. swing — music
  7. content — happy
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bass — low music
  10. content — the amount
  11. saw — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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