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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 120 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
468
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 · ground · bore · squash · cap · march · racket · craft

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. ground — the earth
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ground — a position
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — to tire
  10. field — a subject
  11. squash — to crush
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ground — crushed
  14. cap — a hat
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bore — to drill
  19. craft — boats
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a handicraft

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