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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. craft — a skill
  3. saw — the tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. ground — a position
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. scale — size or range
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. craft — boats
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. field — farmland
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ground — crushed
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — the earth

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