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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: object · calf · pass · bark · mine · coach · mark · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mark — a trace
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. land — ground
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. object — a thing
  13. mark — a grade
  14. object — an aim
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. object — to protest
  22. land — a country
  23. pass — a permit
  24. calf — a young animal

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