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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — to sink
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. club — for golf
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — after costs
  23. bass — the fish
  24. key — the most important part

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