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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: field · pit · fine · cold · craft · face · suit · branch

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fine — high quality
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cold — an illness
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fine — all right
  9. field — farmland
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. field — for sport
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pit — in a race
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pit — a hole
  21. field — a subject
  22. suit — to fit
  23. craft — boats
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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