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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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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: bore · net · bark · bank · cabinet · bass · land · racket

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. bass — low music
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — after costs
  20. land — a country
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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