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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: bound · suit · ground · track · rush · season · bark · cabinet

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bound — tied together
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — a song
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. track — a path
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bound — certain
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cabinet — ministers

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