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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 120 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: club · can · lash · present · last · field · bark · row

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — farmland
  5. last — finally
  6. present — a gift
  7. row — a line
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. last — to go on
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. present — there
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. present — the time now
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. field — for sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. can — a tin
  24. last — final

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