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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. net — in sport
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. ball — a great time
  14. fork — in a road
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. plane — a tool
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. field — farmland
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — for sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. ball — a dance

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