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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. drill — the tool
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. drill — a practice
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. craft — a skill
  14. race — humankind
  15. drill — army training
  16. race — a contest
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — employees
  19. craft — boats
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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