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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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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. field — farmland
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bound — certain
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pop — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. bank — for money
  18. pop — soda
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. arm — part of the body

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