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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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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: bay · field · bowl · pit · craft · kid · cell · leaves

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. field — a subject
  12. pit — a hole
  13. field — farmland
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pit — in a race
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. kid — child
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. craft — boats
  24. bowl — a football final

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