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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: craft · capital · bowl · field · mug · cue · bear · track

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. mug — a face
  5. field — farmland
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. craft — a skill
  8. track — to keep track
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. capital — a city
  11. field — for sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — money
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. field — a subject
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cue — for pool
  24. track — a song

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