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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.

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: bark · bear · rush · field · hide · cap · stem · pitch

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stem — to come from
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bark — to shout
  24. hide — animal skin

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