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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — to shout
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mate — a friend
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rush — hurry
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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