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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · shower · racket · march · field · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. craft — boats
  3. march — the month
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — a skill
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. field — for sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. march — music
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. shower — rain
  18. racket — a loud noise

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