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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. field — farmland
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bank — of a river
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. saw — the tool
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bank — for money

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