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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: pound · staff · scale · mate · season · rock · bark · tear

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. mate — to breed
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tear — to rip
  17. pound — a weight
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. season — of the year
  21. tear — from crying
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. tear — from crying
  24. season — in sport

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