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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: roll · ground · bark · net · firm · season · fan · bay

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. season — in sport
  3. roll — a list
  4. firm — a company
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — after costs
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. season — of the year
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — a position

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