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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: fork · bark · root · can · scale · board · field · fine

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. board — to get on
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — size or range
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — for sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — high quality
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bark — to shout
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. scale — in music

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