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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: pop · board · field · bowl · season · suit · mark · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pop — to visit
  6. season — of the year
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — a trace
  9. field — for sport
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. suit — to fit
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. season — in sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pop — soda
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pop — music
  20. board — a committee
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. suit — clothes
  23. field — farmland
  24. field — a subject

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