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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. rash — hasty
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bark — to shout
  10. board — to get on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — a committee
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rash — a series
  22. fine — all right
  23. rock — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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