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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. craft — boats
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. stock — shares
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — in football
  22. field — farmland
  23. stock — goods
  24. plane — a tool

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