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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · cell · rock · object · charge · field · wound · bark

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. can — to be able to
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. field — a subject
  8. object — to protest
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. charge — electricity
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — to shout
  15. object — an aim
  16. field — for sport
  17. rock — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. can — a tin
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. can — a tin
  24. rock — to move gently

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