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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: jam · bound · bass · staff · bark · wave · mine · fork

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. staff — employees
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bound — certain
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bound — obliged
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mine — for digging
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bound — tied together

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