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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: stand · present · fork · coach · kick · suit · ground · bark

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. present — the time now
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. suit — to fit
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. present — a gift
  15. ground — a position
  16. suit — clothes
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. present — there
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stand — to bear
  24. kick — with a leg

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