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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. craft — a skill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — a hat
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — a subject
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. craft — boats

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