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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 116 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
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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: key · rest · content · bass · firm · mark · bark · can

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. firm — a company
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — decided
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bass — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rest — a break
  13. bass — low music
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — steady
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. content — the amount
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. can — a tin

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