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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · bark · net · bay · stand · object · key · staff

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — for catching
  8. key — in music
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. net — in sport
  11. object — an aim
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bark — to shout
  15. land — ground
  16. net — after costs
  17. object — a thing
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. land — a country
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — to bear

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