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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · nail · chest · key · current · field · bear · squash

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — farmland
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. field — for sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. squash — to crush
  13. field — a subject
  14. chest — of your body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — happening now
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — for a lock
  19. current — electric
  20. key — in music
  21. current — of water
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chest — a box

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