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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
468
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: bear · bark · leaves · club · craft · staff · rock · march

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bark — to shout
  5. club — a group
  6. march — the month
  7. staff — a stick
  8. rock — a stone
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rock — music
  14. march — the month
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — the animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. march — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. club — for dancing

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