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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: staff · bear · pass · kick · bark · racket · track · wave

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pass — a permit
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. staff — employees
  13. bear — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bark — to shout
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. track — a path
  24. staff — a stick

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