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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. field — a subject
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. field — for sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. net — in sport
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. suit — clothes
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. field — farmland
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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