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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — for sport
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. field — a subject
  6. stock — shares
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — in a road
  14. field — farmland
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. squash — to crush
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — the most important part
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. kick — in football
  24. squash — the sport

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