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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. field — a subject
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. march — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bank — of a river
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. field — for sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. present — the time now

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