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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. field — farmland
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. field — for sport
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stem — to come from
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. lie — to recline
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. field — a subject
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. board — to get on
  18. ball — a dance
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. craft — boats
  21. ball — a great time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. board — a committee

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