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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bass — low music
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the fish
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. object — to protest
  9. pop — music
  10. game — a match
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. pop — soda
  18. prune — to trim
  19. game — wild animals
  20. object — an aim
  21. bark — to shout
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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