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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: march · bear · bark · staff · safe · field · spring · track

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spring — of water
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — employees
  15. spring — the season
  16. field — farmland
  17. march — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — a coil
  21. staff — employees
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — a stick

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