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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: present · hand · field · firm · kick · club · fall · craft

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. club — for dancing
  3. kick — in football
  4. club — for golf
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. craft — boats
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. firm — a company
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — a subject
  19. present — a gift
  20. field — for sport
  21. club — a group
  22. firm — decided
  23. fall — to drop
  24. craft — a skill

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