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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: mate · craft · chair · dip · rock · pass · field · rule

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — a subject
  4. craft — boats
  5. field — for sport
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — government
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rock — music
  14. rule — a law
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. field — farmland
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. craft — a skill

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