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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.

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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: rest · craft · bark · wake · mine · board · mug · field

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — to get on
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — a committee
  9. mug — a face
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — a trail
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mug — a cup
  21. rest — a break
  22. craft — boats
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. craft — a handicraft

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