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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: pass · calf · bowl · bound · pop · bark · stock · field

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pop — soda
  10. stock — goods
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — for sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — music
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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