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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 116 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: wind · staff · pit · suit · stand · bulb · bark · field

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. staff — employees
  3. bark — to shout
  4. staff — employees
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bulb — for light
  9. suit — in cards
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. field — farmland
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — a stick
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — a subject
  24. wind — to turn a key

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