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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 116 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. field — farmland
  9. club — for dancing
  10. charge — a price
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. field — a subject
  13. club — a group
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bulb — for light
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bark — to shout
  21. charge — in control
  22. branch — a division
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. club — for golf

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