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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 116 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: field · key · game · rash · craft · pitcher · calf · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. game — wild animals
  4. field — a subject
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rash — hasty
  9. game — a match
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. key — in music
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — farmland
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. craft — boats
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rash — a series

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