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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bound — obliged
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bass — low music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bound — certain
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bass — the fish
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bound — tied together
  24. ball — a dance

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