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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: season · deal · net · lean · roll · staff · bark · mug

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. staff — a stick
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. season — of the year
  9. staff — employees
  10. season — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. deal — to handle
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. roll — a cake
  19. lean — to bend
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. bark — of a tree

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