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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: drill · jam · march · craft · season · field · chip · saw

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. march — the month
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. craft — a skill
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — a practice
  13. saw — the tool
  14. march — music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. chip — to eat
  18. craft — boats
  19. drill — the tool
  20. season — in sport
  21. field — a subject
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — of the year
  24. drill — army training

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