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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
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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: stand · season · kick · date · straw · key · chip · bark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bark — to shout
  3. key — the most important part
  4. date — the fruit
  5. kick — in football
  6. chip — for betting
  7. stand — to bear
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. key — in music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. chip — to eat
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. season — in sport
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. season — of the year

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