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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: band · current · bark · fine · hide · pitch · key · field

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. key — in music
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bark — to shout
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. fine — all right
  12. key — for a lock
  13. field — farmland
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. field — for sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — a subject
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. current — of water
  24. hide — animal skin

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