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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: field · object · stand · bear · pit · face · bark · prune

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — a hole
  4. field — for sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. face — to confront
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. bark — to shout
  18. face — part of the head
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. object — an aim
  21. pit — in a race
  22. face — to point toward
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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