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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: stem · leaves · craft · chip · rush · jam · field · board

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. chip — for betting
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chip — to eat
  10. field — a subject
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. field — for sport
  13. board — a committee
  14. field — farmland
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. rush — hurry

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