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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 120 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: stick · pitcher · cabinet · bass · bark · key · rest · snap

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rest — a break
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. key — in music
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bass — low music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to click
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. bass — the fish
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. key — for a lock

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