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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: band · chip · field · present · mug · net · bark · root

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. field — for sport
  3. present — the time now
  4. root — of a word
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — there
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — for catching
  9. net — in sport
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — for betting
  12. mug — to rob
  13. root — the cause
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. root — of a plant
  18. band — a music group
  19. field — a subject
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. field — farmland
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mug — a face
  24. chip — to eat

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