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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — farmland
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — for sport
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — child
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rest — a break
  17. kid — to tease
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. field — a subject
  21. craft — a skill
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rest — what's left
  24. foot — a measure

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