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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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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: leaves · jam · mate · craft · field · vault · rush · board

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. field — for sport
  3. vault — a safe
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. craft — boats
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. field — farmland
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. board — to get on
  17. field — a subject
  18. mate — a friend
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mate — a partner
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. craft — a skill

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