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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: rock · coach · bark · fall · capital · drill · bass · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rock — a stone
  4. capital — money
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. capital — a city
  14. bass — the fish
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bass — low music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — army training
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bark — to shout
  24. fall — to drop

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