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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 120 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: bark · dip · row · pass · suit · bear · field · net

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. net — in sport
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. net — after costs
  10. field — a subject
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to sink
  15. row — to paddle
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. row — a line
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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