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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: bank · pop · bark · bay · saw · field · ball · ground

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a dance
  4. field — farmland
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — for money
  10. ground — a position
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pop — soda
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bark — to shout
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — for sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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