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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: field · mark · spring · rock · key · craft · fan · kick

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — farmland
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. key — in music
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rock — music
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. key — the most important part
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — a skill
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — a subject
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. key — for a lock
  17. spring — of water
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mark — a grade
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. mark — a trace
  24. craft — boats

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