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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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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: lean · season · ground · fine · board · pop · tear · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — in sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. pop — soda
  6. ground — the earth
  7. tear — from crying
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lean — thin
  11. pop — music
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fine — all right
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — crushed
  17. board — to get on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lean — to rest against

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