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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pop — soda
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bass — low music
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. board — to get on
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. squash — to crush
  12. fork — in a road
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. squash — the sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bass — the fish

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