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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 · fan · bay · stock · net · snap · racket · bark

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. field — farmland
  9. net — in sport
  10. snap — to click
  11. stock — shares
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. stock — goods
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. field — for sport
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. field — a subject
  24. stock — a soup base

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