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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: trunk · file · cabinet · craft · field · key · ball · straw

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. file — a tool
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. field — farmland
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. key — for a lock
  9. craft — boats
  10. file — a document
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. key — in music
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. craft — a skill
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. key — the most important part
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. field — a subject
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ball — a dance

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