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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 · net · stock · spell · kick · season · wave · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. season — in sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stock — goods
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. season — of the year
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bark — to shout
  14. net — for catching
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. net — in sport
  18. cap — of ice
  19. spell — magic
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spell — letters
  22. net — after costs
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — with your hand

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