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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.

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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: bark · bound · season · leaves · pit · foot · object · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bound — tied together
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. field — a subject
  6. bound — certain
  7. object — to protest
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. object — a thing
  11. bark — to shout
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. object — an aim
  24. field — farmland

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