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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 116 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
468
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: mark · mouse · fall · field · rock · spell · stick · bark

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mark — a grade
  4. field — farmland
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. field — for sport
  9. rock — music
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — the season
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — a stone
  22. spell — magic
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. field — a subject

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