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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: kick · can · mark · bank · bark · coach · season · land

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — in football
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bark — to shout
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — of a river
  9. mark — a grade
  10. season — of the year
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bank — for money
  15. mark — a trace
  16. season — in sport
  17. can — to be able to
  18. land — ground
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. land — a country
  21. bank — for money
  22. land — to come down
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. can — a tin

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