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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.

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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: board · cap · field · stem · bark · rock · branch · cabinet

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. field — a subject
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cap — a hat
  9. field — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — a division
  13. field — farmland
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — to come from
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. board — a committee
  22. rock — music
  23. bark — to shout
  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