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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 116 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: season · can · cue · degree · coach · object · bark · pound

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. season — in sport
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. season — of the year
  6. degree — from a university
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. degree — an amount
  10. object — a thing
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. object — an aim
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cue — for pool
  23. object — to protest
  24. degree — temperature

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