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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.

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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: rock · bark · mug · field · bay · stand · present · stick

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. present — the time now
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — a subject
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rock — music
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mug — a face
  24. stand — to bear

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