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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bass — the fish
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. stock — shares
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bass — low music
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stock — goods
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bark — to shout

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