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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. race — humankind
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bound — certain
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — low music
  21. track — to keep track
  22. race — a contest
  23. wake — a trail
  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