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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: pit · kick · foot · craft · field · racket · march · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — music
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cell — a phone
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. foot — a measure
  14. field — for sport
  15. pit — in a race
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. field — a subject
  20. kick — in football
  21. craft — boats
  22. march — the month
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — a loud noise

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