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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
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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: mark · cap · field · craft · prune · toast · bass · lash

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — a subject
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. craft — boats
  7. prune — to trim
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cap — a lid
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bass — low music
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bass — the fish
  19. craft — a skill
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. lash — an eyelash

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