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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: patient · field · hand · plane · craft · dip · club · suit

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. field — a subject
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. craft — a skill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. dip — to sink
  7. hand — in cards
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. suit — to fit
  10. field — farmland
  11. club — for dancing
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — clothes
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  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