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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 124 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. season — in sport
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — a stick
  6. craft — boats
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — music
  9. suit — in cards
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. craft — a skill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. staff — employees
  17. current — electric
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. current — happening now
  22. suit — clothes
  23. season — of the year
  24. field — for 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