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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: stem · field · cap · bark · present · bore · mark · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. present — there
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. field — for sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cap — a hat
  22. stand — to bear
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — a trace

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