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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · pop · racket · mate · lash · bark · rock · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rock — a stone
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — a subject
  10. saw — the tool
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mate — a friend
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bark — to shout
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pop — music
  21. rock — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. mate — a partner
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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