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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. field — a subject
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. last — final
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. net — in sport
  9. stem — to come from
  10. last — to go on
  11. field — for sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. last — finally
  18. net — after costs
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. net — for catching
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. dip — to dunk

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