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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: arm · field · pitch · ruler · craft · temple · hand · cabinet

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. hand — help
  5. pitch — completely
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. craft — a skill
  14. field — a subject
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — boats
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cabinet — ministers

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