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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 116 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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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: bay · squash · chip · pitcher · bore · bark · last · bass

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bass — low music
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. last — finally
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. last — to go on
  19. last — final
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — to tire

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