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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 120 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. field — farmland
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. field — a subject
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. field — for sport
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. craft — boats
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. can — a tin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. can — to be able to
  24. game — a match

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