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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.

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: mark · court · craft · foot · rest · board · field · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. field — a subject
  5. foot — a measure
  6. court — of a king
  7. board — to get on
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — for sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. court — of law
  19. board — a committee
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. field — farmland
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — a break
  24. craft — a skill

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