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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. rock — a stone
  4. field — farmland
  5. current — happening now
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ground — the earth
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. current — electric
  11. last — finally
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — a position
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. last — to go on
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. current — of water
  21. field — a subject
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ground — crushed

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