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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: bank · straw · pop · ground · chair · mate · pass · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ground — a position
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bank — for money
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — of a river
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pop — soda
  23. pass — a permit
  24. chair — a leader

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