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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: craft · jam · chip · cap · foot · field · mate · object

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. object — an aim
  3. cap — a lid
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mate — a friend
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. craft — boats
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — a subject
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. cap — a hat
  19. object — to protest
  20. craft — a skill
  21. cap — of ice
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. field — farmland
  24. foot — the bottom

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