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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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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: kick · craft · ruler · field · straw · stem · ground · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kick — in football
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. craft — boats
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. field — farmland
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. field — a subject
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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