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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: pitcher · fine · bear · dip · bark · present · field · craft

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bark — to shout
  4. present — a gift
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fine — high quality
  7. field — farmland
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bear — the animal
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. field — a subject
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fine — all right
  21. dip — to sink
  22. craft — a skill
  23. field — for sport
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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