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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · dip · bark · racket · wake · fork · bass · arm

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. fall — to drop
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the fish
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wake — a trail
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fall — the season
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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