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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 · stand · row · stem · field · fall · track

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. board — a committee
  3. bark — to shout
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. field — farmland
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — a subject
  12. stand — to bear
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fall — the season
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. row — to paddle
  18. track — a path
  19. field — for sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — to get on
  22. track — a song
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fall — to drop

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