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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: face · craft · fork · field · cold · present · bark · bound

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. face — to point toward
  3. field — for sport
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cold — an illness
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — part of the head
  11. present — the time now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. craft — boats
  14. bound — certain
  15. present — there
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. face — to confront
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — a subject
  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