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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: object · craft · field · lean · club · ball · game · bat

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. club — a group
  6. lean — to bend
  7. field — a subject
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — for sport
  10. bat — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — an aim
  15. ball — a great time
  16. craft — boats
  17. ball — a dance
  18. lean — thin
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a match
  23. field — farmland
  24. object — a thing

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