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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: present · chip · bark · root · net · board · bass · field

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — there
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. net — after costs
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bass — low music
  9. field — farmland
  10. net — in sport
  11. field — for sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — the cause
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. net — for catching
  20. bass — the fish
  21. board — to get on
  22. chip — for betting
  23. field — a subject
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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