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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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. root — of a plant
  4. track — a path
  5. bark — to shout
  6. root — of a word
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — the cause
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. mug — to rob
  13. track — to keep track
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bound — certain
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. mug — a cup
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mug — a face

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