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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. craft — a skill
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kid — to tease
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — certain
  8. kid — child
  9. craft — boats
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — for sport
  15. fine — all right
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fine — high quality
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. field — farmland

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