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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. rash — a series
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. craft — boats
  5. rash — hasty
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. field — for sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — a subject
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. craft — a skill
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — completely
  21. field — farmland
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lean — thin

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