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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: mate · lie · stand · field · sharp · race · present · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — a contest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — to recline
  7. field — for sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. race — humankind
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. mate — a partner
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. present — the time now

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