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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. present — a gift
  3. bark — to shout
  4. band — a music group
  5. mug — to rob
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. field — farmland
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. band — a ring
  12. present — the time now
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mug — a face
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — there
  20. mug — a cup
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chip — to eat

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