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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 120 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: bass · cue · kick · bulb · bay · cell · track · bark

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. track — a path
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cue — a signal
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — a song
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cell — in biology
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kick — in football
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. cue — a hint
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bass — the fish

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