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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
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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: stand · date · staff · mark · club · degree · bark · object

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. staff — employees
  3. degree — an amount
  4. object — a thing
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mark — a trace
  7. object — an aim
  8. club — a group
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — for golf
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bark — to shout
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. degree — from a university
  20. object — to protest
  21. club — for dancing
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stand — to bear

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