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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: field · ruler · suit · prune · saw · bass · bat · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bass — low music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bat — the animal
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — a skill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. suit — clothes
  19. craft — boats
  20. field — farmland
  21. suit — in cards
  22. field — a subject
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. field — for sport

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