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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 120 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: rush · craft · shower · content · cue · fork · object · field

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. field — farmland
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. object — to protest
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. object — an aim
  14. field — a subject
  15. content — happy
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — a hint
  21. object — a thing
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fork — in a road
  24. craft — boats

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