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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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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: march · bass · patient · spell · mug · bank · cabinet · bark

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. march — music
  13. march — the month
  14. spell — magic
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. spell — letters
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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