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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — for sport
  4. spell — a short time
  5. net — for catching
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. net — in sport
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a path
  14. field — a subject
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. spell — letters
  17. track — a song
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. track — to keep track
  24. object — an aim

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