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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 120 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
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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: content · squash · bark · staff · coach · key · rush · bass

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — employees
  4. squash — to crush
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. key — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — hurry
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bass — the fish
  15. content — the amount
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — employees
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bark — to shout
  21. squash — the sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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