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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: cue · bay · fork · bass · lean · chair · swing · bark

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cue — a signal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. swing — to play on
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fork — in a road
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bass — the fish
  13. swing — music
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lean — thin
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bass — low music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. swing — in golf
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. cue — for pool

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