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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: board · field · stick · scale · land · stand · bark · stem

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stem — to come from
  3. field — a subject
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. land — a country
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — a committee
  12. stand — to bear
  13. scale — size or range
  14. land — ground
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. field — farmland
  19. scale — in music
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. field — for sport
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. land — to come down

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