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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · wound · pit · bass · pass · coach · calf · land

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bass — low music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. land — a country
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — ground
  21. pit — in a race
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. land — to come down

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