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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: firm · field · pop · bank · leaves · cell · vault · bark

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. cell — in biology
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. firm — decided
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. field — for sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bark — to shout
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cell — a phone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. leaves — to go away

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