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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: mark · prune · bass · bark · craft · board · fine · degree

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. degree — from a university
  4. bass — the fish
  5. degree — temperature
  6. mark — a grade
  7. board — a committee
  8. bass — low music
  9. fine — all right
  10. board — to get on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mark — a trace
  13. craft — a skill
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. craft — boats
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. fine — high quality
  22. degree — an amount
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. mark — to pay attention

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