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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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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: spell · field · bark · mate · bear · rest · ruler · cap

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. field — for sport
  3. cap — a lid
  4. spell — letters
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — what's left
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mate — a friend
  16. field — a subject
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rest — a break
  20. cap — a hat
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — magic
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — farmland

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