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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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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: bass · pop · track · bark · current · bear · trunk · cap

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bark — to shout
  3. track — a path
  4. current — electric
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. track — to keep track
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — a song

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