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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: field · arm · nail · deal · stem · march · craft · key

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. march — the month
  3. field — a subject
  4. stem — to come from
  5. deal — to handle
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. key — for a lock
  8. craft — boats
  9. field — for sport
  10. march — music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. field — farmland
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. craft — a skill
  23. key — in music
  24. stem — of a plant

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