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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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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: bark · bank · snap · march · patient · mark · bass · toast

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. march — the month
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. bass — low music
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. snap — to click
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — of a river
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — to shout
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. march — music
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bank — for money
  24. bass — the fish

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