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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: field · wake · can · scale · board · staff · temple · bark

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. can — a tin
  3. scale — in music
  4. field — a subject
  5. scale — size or range
  6. staff — employees
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. field — farmland
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. staff — a stick
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — to get on
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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