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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: pitcher · bark · stick · season · board · bore · field · pass

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. field — farmland
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. board — a committee
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — a subject
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. board — to get on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bark — to shout
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. pass — to succeed

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