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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 · land · content · branch · kick · pit · craft · current

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. craft — boats
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pit — a hole
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. land — to come down
  7. field — farmland
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. current — happening now
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. land — a country
  12. current — of water
  13. field — a subject
  14. branch — a division
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. content — the amount
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — electric
  20. field — for sport
  21. kick — in football
  22. craft — a skill
  23. land — ground
  24. content — happy

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