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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bank — for money
  7. bass — the fish
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. row — a line
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bass — low music
  23. fine — all right
  24. bank — of a river

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