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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bound — tied together
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. track — a path
  13. present — a gift
  14. stem — to come from
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bound — obliged
  17. firm — a company
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — certain
  21. present — the time now
  22. track — a song
  23. bass — low music
  24. present — there

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