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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. branch — a division
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pop — music
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. field — a subject
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. dip — to sink
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pitch — completely
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. field — farmland
  19. pop — soda
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pop — to visit
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. dip — a sauce

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