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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: pound · bark · bass · lean · jam · tube · track · fall

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bark — to shout
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. lean — thin
  19. pound — a weight
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. tube — a container
  22. bass — low music
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. lean — to rest against

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