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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: march · calf · field · craft · stick · sharp · jam · rule

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. field — farmland
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. field — for sport
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. field — a subject
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — clever
  18. march — the month
  19. rule — a law
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rule — government
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. calf — of the leg

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