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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kid · can · saw · craft · fine · stick · field · root

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. can — to be able to
  3. saw — the tool
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. can — a tin
  9. craft — boats
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. root — the cause
  12. kid — child
  13. field — for sport
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — farmland
  20. root — of a word
  21. fine — all right
  22. field — a subject
  23. root — of a plant
  24. craft — a skill

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