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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: ground · bound · bear · calf · coach · spring · bark · object

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spring — of water
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. object — a thing
  10. bound — certain
  11. object — to protest
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bark — to shout
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — the season
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. ground — a position
  20. object — an aim
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bound — tied together
  24. coach — a trainer

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