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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bank — of a river
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — the arms race
  5. field — a subject
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. field — for sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bank — for money
  11. field — farmland
  12. charge — in control
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bank — for money
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. rock — music
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. net — for catching
  20. charge — a price
  21. race — humankind
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fork — in a road
  24. net — in sport

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