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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: lash · saw · field · mate · racket · bear · bark · coach

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mate — to breed
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — for sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. saw — the tool
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bear — the animal

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