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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rest — a break
  3. ground — crushed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bass — low music
  9. ground — a position
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — tied together
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bound — certain
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bound — obliged
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. trunk — of a car

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