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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: rest · land · pound · bark · bay · chip · roll · season

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. land — ground
  7. bark — to shout
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. roll — a list
  10. chip — to eat
  11. roll — a cake
  12. pound — a weight
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rest — what's left
  16. land — a country
  17. rest — a break
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. roll — on a roll

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