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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. field — a subject
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a skill
  7. hand — in cards
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. field — farmland
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stand — to bear
  20. field — for sport
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. hand — help

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