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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: sharp · prune · club · bark · season · root · bore · field

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. bark — to shout
  3. club — a group
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. field — farmland
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. field — for sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — clever
  12. club — for dancing
  13. season — of the year
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. root — of a word
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. club — for golf
  20. field — a subject
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bore — to drill
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. season — in sport

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