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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 · ground · racket · net · craft · bass · bowl · bark

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bass — low music
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. net — after costs
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — a position
  12. bass — the fish
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ground — the earth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — crushed
  22. net — for catching
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. racket — a loud noise

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