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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: file · game · bark · bass · pop · fork · staff · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bass — low music
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bark — to shout
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. staff — employees
  18. game — wild animals
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. file — a line of people
  21. staff — employees
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bass — the fish
  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