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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: lie · game · mate · content · bank · stem · bark · field

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — farmland
  4. mate — a partner
  5. field — for sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. field — a subject
  9. content — the amount
  10. stem — to come from
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — of a river
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mate — a friend
  21. lie — to recline
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bank — for money
  24. content — happy

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