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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: degree · land · foot · field · mark · club · bark · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. field — a subject
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. land — to come down
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. degree — from a university
  9. field — farmland
  10. club — a group
  11. field — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. degree — temperature
  14. foot — a measure
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — ground
  20. club — for golf
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. land — a country
  24. degree — an amount

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