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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 120 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: bark · season · suit · mark · craft · fork · club · pass

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. club — for dancing
  3. season — of the year
  4. craft — a skill
  5. mark — a trace
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. suit — to fit
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — boats
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. club — a group
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bark — to shout
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — in a road

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