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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: present · bark · stick · season · calf · field · march · chip

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — there
  3. bark — to shout
  4. field — farmland
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chip — for betting
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. present — a gift
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — for sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chip — to eat
  23. march — the month
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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