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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.

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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: mark · staff · bank · field · bound · board · bark · fork

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bank — of a river
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bound — certain
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bound — obliged
  21. staff — employees
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — for money

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