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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: hide · field · prune · craft · cue · land · firm · charge

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. craft — a skill
  8. land — ground
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — a signal
  11. craft — boats
  12. cue — a hint
  13. field — a subject
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. firm — a company
  17. charge — electricity
  18. land — to come down
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — a price
  24. cue — for pool

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