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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. staff — employees
  3. ball — a great time
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — the earth
  11. field — farmland
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. field — for sport
  14. craft — a skill
  15. staff — employees
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. mine — for digging
  18. stock — shares
  19. field — a subject
  20. ground — a position
  21. staff — a stick
  22. stock — goods
  23. ruler — a monarch
  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