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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: ground · bark · season · mate · rock · dip · pass · object

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. season — in sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bark — to shout
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mate — a partner
  16. ground — a position
  17. pass — a permit
  18. object — an aim
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — to protest
  24. ground — crushed

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