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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · season · file · ground · bay · mate · ball · bark

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mate — to breed
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — the earth
  9. file — a document
  10. season — in sport
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. season — of the year
  16. ground — a position
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a partner
  19. file — a line of people
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ball — a dance

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