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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: rock · march · stand · charge · bass · bark · bear · key

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. charge — a price
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rock — a stone
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. march — the month
  11. charge — in control
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bass — low music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bark — to shout
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. march — music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. bark — of a tree

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