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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: leaves · bound · bark · file · field · pitcher · pitch · foot

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bound — certain
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. foot — a measure
  7. field — farmland
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a document
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bound — obliged
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — the bottom

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