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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 120 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. drill — the tool
  3. field — a subject
  4. drill — a practice
  5. drill — army training
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. field — farmland
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. suit — clothes
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. craft — a skill
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. suit — to fit
  24. craft — boats

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