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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. charge — a price
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. craft — a skill
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. craft — boats
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. toast — bread
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. staff — employees
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. charge — electricity
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. staff — employees
  21. field — farmland
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mine — for digging

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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