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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: fine · bark · row · stem · bass · scale · nail · mouse

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fine — all right
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — high quality
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. nail — on a finger

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