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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: club · craft · fork · date · pound · field · bass · board

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — a skill
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. fork — in a road
  5. club — for golf
  6. board — a committee
  7. date — the fruit
  8. pound — a weight
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — a group
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. field — for sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. craft — boats
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bass — the fish
  19. field — a subject
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bass — low music
  24. field — farmland

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