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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — a subject
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. field — farmland
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — the fish
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — for sport
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — a stone

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