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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a skill
  4. drill — the tool
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — army training
  7. field — farmland
  8. bear — the animal
  9. craft — boats
  10. drill — a practice
  11. prune — to trim
  12. field — a subject
  13. object — an aim
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. object — a thing
  16. board — to get on
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. object — to protest
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. board — a committee
  24. bear — to put up with

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