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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 120 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: racket · field · hide · cue · foot · craft · cabinet · land

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cue — for pool
  3. field — a subject
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — a measure
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. field — for sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — farmland
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. cue — a hint
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. craft — boats
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. hide — to keep secret

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