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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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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 · calf · stand · sharp · rule · bark · pass · snap

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. snap — to click
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rule — government
  7. bark — to shout
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pass — a permit
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rule — a law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  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