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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
468
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: swing · bark · bank · mark · net · squash · kick · staff

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — for money
  7. net — for catching
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. staff — employees
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bank — of a river
  12. net — after costs
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — a trace
  16. swing — to play on
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. staff — a stick
  24. kick — a thrill

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