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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: craft · field · stand · toast · arm · capital · rash · safe

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. capital — money
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rash — hasty
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. field — a subject
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a city
  12. field — for sport
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. toast — bread
  15. field — farmland
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. rash — a series
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. craft — boats
  24. safe — a strongbox

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