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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · stick · net · stand · trunk · court · field · rash

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. field — for sport
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rash — hasty
  6. net — after costs
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. rash — a series
  22. court — of a king
  23. net — for catching
  24. court — of law

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