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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
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: bark · board · bowl · land · pit · field · bank · hand

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — in cards
  7. land — a country
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. field — a subject
  10. land — ground
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — in a race
  14. field — for sport
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. hand — help
  17. bank — for money
  18. board — to get on
  19. bank — for money
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. board — a committee
  22. pit — a hole
  23. field — farmland
  24. bowl — a football 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