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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · craft · can · kick · field · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. craft — a skill
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. field — for sport
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kick — in football
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. craft — boats
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cell — in biology
  16. can — a tin
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — to bear

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