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

Word bank: race · bound · kick · craft · field · deal

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. craft — boats
  3. bound — certain
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. kick — in football
  9. deal — to handle
  10. race — a contest
  11. field — farmland
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — for sport
  17. craft — a skill
  18. deal — a big deal

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