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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: track · bark · prune · field · bulb · cell · game · suit

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bark — to shout
  3. field — for sport
  4. track — a song
  5. field — a subject
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. track — a path
  8. suit — to fit
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. field — farmland
  13. cell — in biology
  14. prune — to trim
  15. track — to keep track
  16. cell — a phone
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. suit — in cards

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