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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: stock · ball · bore · craft · field · kick · court · foot

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. field — for sport
  3. kick — in football
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — a measure
  6. craft — a skill
  7. court — for sport
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bore — to drill
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. court — of a king
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bore — to tire
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stock — shares
  23. court — of law
  24. kick — with a leg

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