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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: rock · club · key · degree · can · bass · bark · straw

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — in music
  8. can — to be able to
  9. degree — from a university
  10. key — the most important part
  11. degree — temperature
  12. club — for golf
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bass — the fish
  16. degree — an amount
  17. club — a group
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. club — for dancing
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rock — 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