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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · rule · field · pass · bark · cap

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rule — a law
  4. present — there
  5. rule — government
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. field — for sport
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. present — the time now
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — of ice
  14. cap — a hat
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — to shout
  17. present — a gift
  18. pass — to succeed

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