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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 120 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: fan · field · cell · ball · safe · stand · rule · craft

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. field — farmland
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rule — a law
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cell — a phone
  17. field — a subject
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in biology

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