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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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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: mark · track · field · craft · stand · scale · cabinet · deal

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. craft — a skill
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. track — a path
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. scale — size or range
  13. track — a song
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. stand — to bear
  17. scale — in music
  18. craft — boats
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mark — a grade
  22. deal — to handle
  23. field — a subject
  24. craft — a handicraft

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