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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: chip · root · bay · land · season · field · cap · bark

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cap — a lid
  4. root — of a plant
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. field — farmland
  9. season — in sport
  10. land — to come down
  11. cap — a hat
  12. land — a country
  13. root — the cause
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. chip — for betting
  18. field — for sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. land — ground
  21. root — of a word
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. field — a subject

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