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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bank — for money
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pop — music
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a hole
  22. band — a ring
  23. pop — soda
  24. nail — on a finger

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