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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.

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: craft · stand · cell · scale · ball · field

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. scale — size or range
  4. field — a subject
  5. cell — a phone
  6. stand — to bear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. field — farmland
  11. scale — in music
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a great time
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — in biology

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