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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 · rule · lie · saw · bark · mug · firm · fine

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. firm — decided
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. field — for sport
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rule — government
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. firm — a company
  18. fine — high quality
  19. firm — steady
  20. field — farmland
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — to rob
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bark — of a tree

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