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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · can · bass · key · bark · content · stem · coach

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. bass — the fish
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. bark — to shout
  6. key — in music
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. can — a tin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bass — low music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fork — in a road
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. can — a tin
  24. stem — of a plant

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