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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: fine · craft · field · lie · ground · fan · safe · game

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. fine — high quality
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — all right
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — crushed
  10. field — for sport
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. game — a match
  14. field — farmland
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. craft — boats
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ground — the earth
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. game — wild animals

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