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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: field · bat · craft · tube · current · jam · pound · fork

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — farmland
  8. fork — in a road
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pound — a weight
  11. current — electric
  12. field — for sport
  13. current — of water
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — happening now
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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