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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: mark · field · bass · temple · straw · firm · mine · bark

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — for sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. bark — to shout
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — a company
  12. field — a subject
  13. bass — low music
  14. field — farmland
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. firm — decided
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. mine — for digging
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. temple — side of the head

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