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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.

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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: mark · root · bay · bark · club · season · net · cap

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. root — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. club — a group
  7. mark — a grade
  8. root — of a word
  9. season — in sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. cap — of ice
  12. club — for golf
  13. net — after costs
  14. cap — a lid
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cap — a hat
  21. net — in sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. season — of the year

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