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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · mine · kick · field · pitcher · bulb · straw · wave

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. field — farmland
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — a subject
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — for sport
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. kick — in football
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kick — with a leg
  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