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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: scale · lean · wound · field · craft · present · racket · ruler

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. field — for sport
  3. present — a gift
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — in music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. field — a subject
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. craft — boats
  15. lean — thin
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. present — there
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — farmland
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. racket — for tennis

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