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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 116 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: stick · content · present · bark · cabinet · hand · can · bass

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. can — a tin
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hand — in cards
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. content — happy
  11. can — to be able to
  12. present — there
  13. content — the amount
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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