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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.

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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 · mark · suit · kid · field · stick · can · saw

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — the time now
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. can — a tin
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — a gift
  10. field — for sport
  11. kid — to tease
  12. present — there
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mark — a trace
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. saw — the tool
  19. suit — clothes
  20. field — a subject
  21. kid — child
  22. mark — a grade
  23. suit — in cards
  24. saw — the 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