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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 116 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: present · race · drill · suit · racket · staff · craft · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. craft — boats
  3. race — the arms race
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. staff — employees
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — for sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. present — there
  13. drill — a practice
  14. field — farmland
  15. present — the time now
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — a gift
  18. suit — to fit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — army training
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. racket — for tennis

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