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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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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: bark · pass · field · cell · bound · plane

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. field — a subject
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bound — certain
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cell — a phone
  10. cell — in biology
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — obliged
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bound — tied together
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. plane — an aircraft

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