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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
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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: root · craft · spell · hand · chair · field · pit · kick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. kick — in football
  15. field — farmland
  16. root — of a plant
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. field — for sport
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. craft — boats
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — of a word
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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