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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — farmland
  3. craft — a skill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. field — for sport
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pit — in a race
  10. march — the month
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. cue — a hint
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. march — music
  20. craft — boats
  21. squash — the sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rush — to hurry

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