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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.

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: lie · wound · bark · scale · racket · present · bass · sharp

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. present — the time now
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wound — an injury
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. scale — in music
  15. bass — the fish
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — there
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — a gift
  24. bass — low music

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