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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. field — a subject
  2. bank — for money
  3. field — farmland
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bound — obliged
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bound — certain
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rush — hurry
  14. craft — a skill
  15. field — for sport
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  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