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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: craft · lie · firm · field · mark · stick · mate · object

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — a company
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lie — to recline
  6. field — a subject
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. firm — steady
  9. mate — to breed
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. field — farmland
  14. craft — a skill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — boats
  18. object — an aim
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mark — a trace
  22. field — for sport
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mark — to pay attention

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