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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 116 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: patient · craft · fork · calf · file · field · can · ruler

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. can — a tin
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. file — a document
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — for sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. can — to be able to
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. craft — boats
  20. file — a line of people
  21. field — a subject
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. file — a tool

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