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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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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. object — an aim
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. field — for sport
  12. object — to protest
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bark — to shout
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — a thing
  24. bound — certain

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