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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: drill · bark · spring · bass · pass · key · stock · dip

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bass — the fish
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bass — low music
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spring — the season
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. drill — army training
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — in music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stock — goods
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spring — of water
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stock — shares

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