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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: calf · craft · field · stock · board · chair

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. craft — a skill
  7. stock — shares
  8. chair — a leader
  9. board — a committee
  10. field — farmland
  11. craft — boats
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — for sport

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