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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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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: bark · pound · net · field · bay · rock · lash · race

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — after costs
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pound — a weight
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — farmland
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. field — a subject
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. net — in sport
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rock — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. race — humankind
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lash — to lash out

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