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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 120 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: bark · field · bay · craft · season · fine · net · prune

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. prune — to trim
  10. fine — all right
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. field — a subject
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — a skill
  22. field — farmland
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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