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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: cabinet · bound · craft · rush · field · pit · saw · plane

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. field — for sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. bound — certain
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — farmland
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. craft — boats
  24. craft — a handicraft

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