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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — of a river
  9. squash — to crush
  10. cell — a phone
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bank — for money
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rest — a break
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bass — the fish
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bank — for money
  24. swing — to play on

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