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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. land — a country
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. mate — to breed
  11. staff — employees
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. staff — employees
  14. season — of the year
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bark — to shout
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — letters
  21. staff — a stick
  22. mate — a friend
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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