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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: mark · bass · drill · bark · kid · wake · key · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. drill — army training
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bass — low music
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a great time
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. kid — child
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. drill — a practice

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