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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.

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: bark · field · temple · squash · stock · stem · patient · bay

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stem — to come from
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stock — goods
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bark — to shout
  18. field — farmland
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. field — for sport
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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