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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.

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: stand · bark · tube · plane · season · perch · field · rule

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. field — farmland
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — a container
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. perch — the fish
  11. rule — a law
  12. stand — to bear
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. field — a subject
  15. rule — government
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bark — to shout
  19. plane — a tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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