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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. deal — to handle
  3. track — a song
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bass — the fish
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — low music
  8. content — the amount
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. press — a publisher
  12. content — happy
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a path
  22. kick — in football
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. deal — an agreement

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