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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bass — low music
  6. drill — army training
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bark — to shout
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. band — a ring
  13. ground — the earth
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a music group
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. deal — a big deal

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