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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: pound · bark · pop · rush · safe · field · court · foot

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. pop — music
  4. field — for sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. court — of law
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pop — soda
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. court — for sport
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. field — a subject
  20. pop — to visit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. court — of a king
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. field — farmland

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