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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: bark · field · charge · root · bass · craft · rest · cue

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. craft — a skill
  5. root — of a word
  6. field — farmland
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. craft — boats
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bass — the fish
  13. charge — in control
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. root — the cause
  18. rest — a break
  19. cue — for pool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. field — for sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. field — a subject
  24. root — of a plant

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