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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: craft · fork · mark · fine · racket · field · net · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. field — for sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mark — a grade
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. net — in sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. stock — shares
  18. field — farmland
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. net — for catching
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — after costs

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