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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.

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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: field · stick · bark · fan · sharp · court · bank · roll

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. field — farmland
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. roll — a cake
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — a list
  8. court — of a king
  9. bark — to shout
  10. field — a subject
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bank — of a river
  13. field — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. court — for sport
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. sharp — clever
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bank — for money

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