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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: field · bass · track · bark · date · rest · racket · cabinet

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bark — to shout
  16. rest — what's left
  17. field — for sport
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — low music
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. rest — a break
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — a subject
  24. racket — for tennis

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