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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 120 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: field · bulb · racket · stem · track · board · rest · bark

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bark — to shout
  3. board — a committee
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — to come from
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — to get on
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a path
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. field — farmland
  23. track — to keep track
  24. field — for sport

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