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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: bass · temple · dip · key · bark · foot · deal · last

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bass — low music
  8. foot — a measure
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. last — to go on
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. key — the most important part
  19. deal — to handle
  20. last — finally
  21. key — for a lock
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — final
  24. key — in 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