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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: racket · land · bound · press · field · club · bark · bass

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. land — ground
  3. land — to come down
  4. field — for sport
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — a group
  7. press — newspapers
  8. club — for golf
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. club — for dancing
  13. land — a country
  14. bass — the fish
  15. press — to push
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — low music
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — farmland
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — a subject

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