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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a line
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ball — a dance
  13. cell — in biology
  14. field — for sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. suit — in cards
  17. craft — boats
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cell — a phone
  21. craft — a skill
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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