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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: craft · bowl · field · board · cold · rock · calf · mug

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. mug — to rob
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a committee
  9. field — for sport
  10. mug — a cup
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — an illness
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mug — a face
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — music
  22. cold — not warm
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. calf — of the leg

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