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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: bark · can · bowl · foot · last · plane · season · cap

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. last — finally
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. season — in sport
  6. plane — a tool
  7. can — to be able to
  8. cap — a lid
  9. last — final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. last — to go on
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cap — of ice
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. foot — a measure
  19. season — of the year
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — a tin
  22. cap — a hat
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bark — of a tree

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