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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 · stick · present · fine · degree · field · pitch · bear

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. field — a subject
  4. present — a gift
  5. pitch — completely
  6. field — for sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bear — the animal
  12. degree — an amount
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fine — all right
  15. field — farmland
  16. craft — boats
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — there
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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