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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. swing — music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — rain
  7. pound — a weight
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bank — for money
  11. swing — to play on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. content — videos and posts

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