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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: craft · ball · wake · prune · field · kick · jam · pit

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. prune — to trim
  13. ball — a great time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pit — a hole
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. wake — a trail
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. field — for sport
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. field — farmland

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