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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: can · pop · last · pass · season · bark · stock · kid

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. season — of the year
  4. pass — a permit
  5. last — finally
  6. pop — soda
  7. stock — goods
  8. season — in sport
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pop — music
  11. can — a tin
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. last — final
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kid — child
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. last — to go on
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bark — to shout

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