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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · field · net · season · row · rest · bark · stem

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. field — for sport
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. net — after costs
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — farmland
  17. scale — size or range
  18. field — a subject
  19. stem — to come from
  20. net — for catching
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — in sport
  23. bark — to shout
  24. season — of the year

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