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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.

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: saw · rest · craft · rush · field · game · staff · roll

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. staff — employees
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. field — a subject
  7. rest — what's left
  8. game — a match
  9. craft — boats
  10. field — for sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rush — hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. roll — a list
  18. craft — a skill
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — a cake
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — what's left

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