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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · present · bark · bear · cabinet · fine · field · snap

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — the time now
  3. field — for sport
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. present — a gift
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. present — there
  14. current — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. fine — all right
  17. field — farmland
  18. current — electric
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fine — high quality
  22. snap — to click
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — happening now

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