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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
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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: bark · leaves · chest · bass · firm · mouse · ball · track

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. track — a song
  8. chest — of your body
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bass — low music
  11. firm — steady
  12. track — a path
  13. bark — to shout
  14. track — to keep track
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — decided
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — a box
  22. ball — a dance
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — of a tree

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