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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: ground · wound · squash · bank · coach · rock · bark · key

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ground — a position
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rock — music
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bank — for money
  23. bark — to shout
  24. coach — a trainer

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