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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: racket · season · rush · bark · rash · bound · staff · pass

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. staff — employees
  8. bound — obliged
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bound — certain
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rash — a series
  14. staff — employees
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. season — of the year
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. staff — a stick
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pass — a permit

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