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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.

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: club · foot · stick · lean · craft · field · court · spell

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. court — for sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. craft — boats
  6. field — farmland
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. craft — a skill
  11. club — a group
  12. field — for sport
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. club — for dancing
  16. field — a subject
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. club — for golf
  23. court — of a king
  24. spell — a short time

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