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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: land · cabinet · object · mug · bark · pitcher · wake · field

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. object — an aim
  3. field — for sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. land — a country
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — to rob
  12. land — ground
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mug — a cup
  16. field — a subject
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. object — to protest
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — farmland
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. land — to come down

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