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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. staff — employees
  10. net — in sport
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. field — farmland
  17. net — after costs
  18. bark — to shout
  19. stock — shares
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. staff — employees
  22. craft — boats
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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