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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
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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: pop · bark · season · lean · bank · cap · field · kid

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kid — to tease
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bank — for money
  10. field — a subject
  11. bank — for money
  12. cap — of ice
  13. pop — to visit
  14. kid — child
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — of a river
  17. field — for sport
  18. bark — to shout
  19. pop — soda
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — thin
  22. season — in sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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