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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · stock · staff · bark · prune · mug · field · bass

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — boats
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. field — farmland
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mug — a face
  12. bass — low music
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — employees
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. stock — goods
  18. bass — the fish
  19. staff — a stick
  20. craft — a skill
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. bass — the instrument

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